Tire-protector.



F. WYLLYS.

TIRE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1912.

LQ982 Patented 1811128, 1914.

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FRANK WYLLYS, OF ATLANTA, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH 'IO ORWIN A. PHELPS, OF GAYLORD, MICHIGAN, AND SIX TWENTY-FIFTHS TO HERMAN 1UN- DEN, 0F BRILEY, MICHIGAN TIRE-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24, 1912.

Patented Apr. Zo, 1914.

Serial No. 727,583.

To all iv/umt it may concern:

Be it known that l. FRANK \VYLLys, a citizen of the United States residing at Atlanta, in the county of lllont-morency and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tire-Protectors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear. and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to in'iprovements in protectors for pneumatic tires.

One object of the invention is to provide a protector for pneumatic tires which will effectually prevent the tires from being punctured and which will positively prevent the tire from slipping or skidding.

Another object is to provide a protector which will be simple, strong. durable and inexpensive in construction, ellicient and reliable in operation and which will not interfere with the resiliency or cushioning action of the tire.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a wheel and tire showing the application of the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is a view s milar to Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale of a portion of the wheel and tire and of this improved protector; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a port-ion of the protector laid out flat and showing more clearly the structure thereof.

My improved tire protector comprises a pair of wire rings 1. the diameter of which corresponds substantially to the diameterof the rim or" the wheel to which the protector is applied. The rings 1 are open and have their adjoining ends threaded and engaged with sockets 2 which are provided with laterally projecting apertured lugs 3. With the apertured lugs on the ends of each of the rings 1 is engaged a clamping bolt 4, said bolt having clamping nuts 5 which are adapted to be screwed up on the bolt thereby d 'awing the lugs 8 and sockets 2 together and thus firmly connecting the ends of the rings.

Arranged between and connected at its edges with the rings 1 is a flexible tire covering formed of a series of transversely dis posed links 6 in the form of short wire rods having on their ends eyes 7 which are engaged with each other and connect the links as shown. The transverse rows of links 6 are spaced a suitable distance apart around the tire and each of the links 6 is connected by a series of longitudinally disposed links 8 which are in the form of wire rods having on their ends eyes 9 which loosely engage the links 6. The eves 9 of the links 8 between one pair of the transverse links 6 are engaged with said links 6 between the eyes 7 thereof. The longitudinal links of one row on one sideof the transverse link are spaced apart by the oppositely extending longitudinal links on the other side of said transverse link. Any nuniberot longitudinal. links 8 may be strung on each oi the transverse links, twelve being here shown six of said longitudinal links extending in one direction and six in the other. It will be noted that the longitudinal links-along the center of the tire are necessarily of greater length than those along the sides of the tire and that the links 8 gradually decrease in length from the center toward the edges of the protector owing to the curvature of the tire.

The two rows of transverse links 6 adjacent to the connected ends of the rings 1 are connected by a series of flat coiled springs 10 which take the place of the longitudinal links 8 between these two rows of transverse links and thus permit the protector to be stretched at this point when the clamping bolts 4 are removed, so that the protector may be readily placed over and engaged with the tire.

Connected with the eyes on the outer ends of the transverse links along the side edges of the protector are flat coiled springs 11 the outer ends of which are connected with the rings 1, said springs 11 thus serving to stretch the protector and to yieldingly hold the same in stretched position on the outer surface ot-the tire when applied thereto.

The protector is held in firm engagement with the tire and securely fastened to the rim of the wheel by a series of clips 12 which are in the form of sheet metal plates bent to conform to the curvature of each side of the rill-1 01 the wheel with which the are engaged, said plates having their outer ends bent to form eyes 18 whi h are loosely engaged with the rings 1 at suitable intervals. The inner ends of the clips or plates 12 have formed thereon right angular inwardly projecting apertured lugs 14- with which are engaged'short bolts 15 whereby the clips are fastened together around the rim of the Wheel as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Any suitable number of clips 12 and springs 11 may be provided for fastening the protector to the Wheel and stretching it around the tire.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood Without requiring amore extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages ot' the invention as shown.

Having thus described .my invention, what I claim is:

l. A tire armor comprising an oppositely disposed pair of twin hoops adapted to form the base edges of the armor, a plurality of longitudinally spaced series of links extending transversely between said hoops and connected at opposite ends with said hoops, the links oi the respective series being'in the term (it short rods havingeyes flexibly spaced relation.

on the links of the transverse series, where' by said transverse-series of links are held in 2. A flexible tire armor comprising a plurality oi longitudinally spaced series of transversely extending links in the form of members having eyes at their opposite ends, the eyes of one member being engaged with the eyes of adjacent members, series of iongitudinally disposed similarly constructed links having their eyes strung on the body portion of the transverse links, and means for securing said armor to a tire.

3. A flexible tire armor comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced series of transversely extending links in the form of short wire rods having eyes at their opposite ends, the eyes of one rod being engagedwith the eyes of adjacent rods, series of longitudinally disposed similarly construct ed links loosely engaging the transverse links, and means for securing said armor to a tire.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence or two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK WYLllfY v /itnesses EDWARD CAMERON, Homer Coon. 

